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Cleoniceras Sutured Ammonite 75mm

SKU:TFS1064

£52.00

Availability:In stock

Details:

A fine Cleoniceras sutured ammonite cleaned and preserved now the polished three-dimensional form of the fossilised shell that has fortuitously persisted in the fossil layers of Madagascar from the end of the Cretaceous period, some sixty-four million years ago. Read the full description below...

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Details

Cleoniceras ammonite discovered in Madagascar. A superb Cleoniceras ammonite, the illustrated images quite adequately speak volumes about this gem quality chalcedony and quartz calcite-filled ammonite shell, so the author will not elaborate too long on the virtues of this fossil ammonoid, only to expound on the complete preservation of the whole form and suture patterning making this a rarity among many ammonites.

Dark treacle brown and caramel tones are interspersed with the very well detailed and profuse fine sutures lines picked out in cream to white, having the appearance of frilly or flowery patterning. When seen for the first time these natural attachment markings appear plant-like.

The lighter tones of caramel colour almost translucent play of light can be seen through the calcite infill at the edge of the largest outer whorl or keel. The ammonite has been worked to the centre and now polished an exceptional fossil specimen and very tactile in the hand.

Cleoniceras ammonite, a member of the ammonoid family in the group of Cephalopoda, these cephalopods related to the octopi were marine dwellers which once proliferated the prehistoric Cretaceous dinosaur period oceans. When Cleoniceras ammonites died these shells eventually sank into the bottoms. Some covered over quickly in an anoxic environment of silk, with no or very little oxygen. Petrification took place absorbing minerals into the chitin shell.

Eventually fossilised in the layers that solidified into limestone. Millions of ammonoids died over millions of years, this fact makes these fossils found in this type of condition and preservation true wonders of nature, as most have been crushed or destroyed with erosions, to find an inflated three-dimensional shell is a rare event. The ammonites lineage came to a close towards the end of the Cretaceous period. As seen at the KT boundary event which was around 64 million years ago, this global event extinguished much life on earth and in the oceans of the world including the dinosaurs.